Madhushala [The Tavern] by Shri. Harivansh Rai Bachchan

madiraalay
                                             jaane ko ghar se, chaltaa hae peene waalaa
                                             kis path se jaaoon asamanjas, mein hae woh bholaabhaalaa
alag alag path batalaate sab, par maen yeh batalaataa
                                             
hun raah pakad tu eka chalaachal, paa jaa aega madhushaalaa

sun kalkal chhalchhal, madhughat se girti, praanon mein haalaa
sun runjhun runjhun jal vitaran, karti madhusati
                                             baalaa
bas aa ponhche door nahin kutchh, chaar kadam ab chalna
hae behak rahe sun peene waale, mehak
                                             rahi le madhushaalaa

lal sura si dhaar lapatetee, keh na ise dena jwalaa
Yeh nil madira hae mat isko,
                                             keh dena ur ka chhaalaa
dard nashaa hae is madira ka, vigat smrutiyan saaqi hein 
peeda
                                             mein aanand jise ho, aaey meri MADHUSHAALAA

dharm granth sab jalaa chuki hein, jiske bheetar
                                             ki jwalaa
mandir, masjid, girje sab kuchh, toade chuka jo matwaalaa
pandit, momin, padariyon
                                             ke, phandon ko jo kaat chuka
kar sakti hae aaj usi ka, swaagat meri MADHUSHAALAA

Laalaa in adharon se jisne,
                                             haay nahein choomi haalaa
harshit kampit kar se jisne, haay na chhuwaa madhu ka pyaalaa
haath pakad
                                             lajjit saaqi ka, paas nahein jisne kheenchaa
vyarth sukhaa daali jeevan ki, usne madhumaya MADHUSHAALAA.

bane pujaari premi saaqi,
                                             gangaajal pawan haalaa
rahe pherata avirat gati se, madhu ke pyaalon ki maalaa
aur liye
                                             jaa, aur piye jaa, isi mantra ka jaap kare
maen Shiv ki pratimaa ban baethun, mandir ho yeh MADHUSHAALAA.

aek baras mein aek baar hi
                                             jalti holi ki jwaalaa
                                             aek bar hi lagti baazi, jagti deepon ki maalaa
                                             duniya waalo kintu kisi din, aa madiraalaya mein dekho
                                             din ko holi raat diwali, roze manati MADHUSHAALAA.

adharon par ho koee bhi ras, jiwha par lagti haalaa
                                             han jag ho koee haathon mein, lagta rakkha hae pyaalaa
                                             har surat saaqi ki surat, mein parivartit ho jaati
                                             aankhon ke aage ho kuchh bhi, aankhon mein hae MADHUSHAALAA.

sumukhi tumhara sundar mukh hi, mujh ko kanchan kaa pyaalaa
                                             chaalak rahi hae, jisme, manik roop madhur maadak haalaa
                                             maen hi saaqi banta maen hi, peene waala banta hun
                                             jahan kahin mil baethe ham tum, vahin gaee ho MADHUSHAALAA

do din hee madhu mujhe pilaa kar, oob uthi saaqi baalaa
                                             bhar kar ab khiska daetee hae, woh merae aage pyaalaa
                                             naaz-o-adaa andaazon se ab, haae pilaanaa door huwaa
                                             ab to kar detee hae kewal, farz-adaaee MADHUSHAALAA

chhote se jeevan mein kitnaa, pyaar karoon,
                                             pee loon haalaa
                                             aane ke hi saath jagat mein, kahlaayaa jaane waalaa
                                             swaagat ke hi saath bidaa ki, hoatee dekhee tayyaari
                                             band lagee hone khulate hi, maeri jeevan MADHUSHAALAA.

shaant saki ho kab tak saaqi, pee kar kis ur
                                             ki jwaalaa
                                             aur aur ki raTan lagaataa, jaataa har peene waalaa
                                             kitni ichchhaaen, har jaane waalaa chhod yahan jaataa
                                             kitne armaanon ki ban kar, qabra khadee hae MADHUSHAALAA.


Yam aaegaa saaqi ban kar, saath liye kaali haalaa
                                             pee na hoash mein phir aaegaa, sura visudh yah matwaalaa
                                             yah antim behoashi, antim saaqi, antim pyaala hae
                                             pathik pyaar se peena isko, phir na milaegi MADHUSHAALAA.

 
girti jaati hae din prati-din, praNayani praNon
                                             ki haalaa
                                             bhagna huwa jaata din prati-din, shubhage mera tan pyaala
                                             rooTh raha hae mujhse roopasi, din din yauwan ka saaqi
                                             sookh rahi hae din din sundari, meri jeevan MADHUSHAALAA.

maere adharon par ho antim,
                                             vastu na tulsidal pyaalaa
                                             maeri jiwha par ho antim, vastu na gangaajal haalaa
                                             maere shav ke peechhe chalne waalo, yaad ise rakhnaa
                                             Ram naam hae satya na kehnaa, kehnaa sachchee MADHUSHAALAA

maere shav par vah roae ho, jiske aansoo
                                             mein haalaa
                                             aah bhare voh ho jo surbhit, madiraa pee kar matwaalaa
                                             aen mujhko ve kandha jinke, pag-mag-dag-mag hoate hoan
aur jaloon us Thaor jahan par, kabhi
                                             rahi kno MADHUSHAALAA

(madiraalay = the house of liquor, pub)
With the intention of going to the pub, the drink-seeker starts from home
He is confused as to which path should he choose to reach there
Different people show different paths, but I suggest only one thing
Take one path (any one) and just keep going, you will get MADHUSHAALAA.

(haalaa = liquor)
Sounding like a spring, the liquor's falling and filling the lives
There are sounds like those of pretty, intoxicating girls playing at the water
We have almost reached, just a few more steps to go
The very thought is making the drink-seekers sway and MADHUSHAALAA redolent.

(saaqi = the one who serves intoxicating drinks; bar tender)
It [madhu] flares like a red sword, but don't call it fire
Don't even call it the abscess of the heart
Pain is its intoxication and receding memories its bar-tender [provider]
That who endures or enjoys pain only must come to my Madhushaalaa

(dharm granth = holy book of any religion)
That, whose fire from within, has burnt all holy books of his religion
That, who has demolished all his personal religious structures- temple, mosque or church
That who has freed himself from the clutches of religious priests- Pandit, Imam or Bishop
That alone is today welcome in my Madhushaalaa.

(lajjit = bashful, reticent)
If one has not yet kissed a "drink" with his lips,
And has not yet felt the "pail" with delight and trembling hands.
If one has not yet held the hands of the bashful "bar-tender" and pulled her towards oneself,
Such a person has totally wasted his life's wonderful Madhushaalaa.

(Shiva = the god of destruction, Siva)
He [the drink-seeker] imagines the beloved bar-tender as the priest, and the drink as holy water of Ganges,
And counts rapidly [a mantra] on the rosary of his pails,
His only mantra is "Take more. Drink more."
[In his imagination] he becomes the image of Shiva and his temple, Madhushaalaa.

(holi = festival of bonfire and colors)
Once a year [you] celebrate holi by lighting a fire and
Only once a year [you] celebrate diwali with fire-crackers and illuminating houses
However, someday [you] should come and see in the "bar"
Every day holi and every night diwali, celebrates Madhushaalaa.

(ras = juice, fluid, taste)
Whatever may come to [my] lips, tastes only "liquor" at the tongue
Whatever may come in [my] hands, feels only like the "pail"
Every face [before me] turns into the face of the "bar-tender"
In front of [my] eyes there may be anything, but in [my] eyes, there's only Madhushaalaa.)

(sumukhi = one with a beautiful face, a beautiful lady)
Hey [my] charming lady, your beautiful face is like the golden "pail" [to me]
which is teeming with the wonderful, sweet, intoxicating wine.
I am the bar-tender and I alone is the one who drinks
Wherever we two get together, we have Madhushaalaa.

(oob uthi = got tired)
Within two days of presenting me with the wine, the bar-tender [my love] got tired.
Now she just fills the pail and quite curtly places it before me.
That enticing and seducing charm in presenting the drink no more exists.
Now the only one who still fulfills its obligation is Madhushaalaa.

(pyaar = love, adoration, devotion, admiration)
In this brief life, how much can I love, how much can I drink
Right on arrival in this world, I became 'destined-to-go'
Parting and farewell arrangements I have seen just following welcome
Barely upon opening, started to close my life's wonderful madhushaalaa.

(ur = heart)
No ones' fire-of-the-heart ever got abated after drinking
Every one who drinks, only asks for more and more
The departer leaves behind himself so many desires and ambitions
All those aspirations get buried under the grave of Madhushaalaa.

(Yam = angel of death: myth is that he comes on buffalo)
Yam will arrive as a wineserver and will bring with him dark wine
After drinking it, the cheerful drinker will never regain conscious again
This is the last intoxication, last wineserver and the last pail
Hey Traveller, drink it with love, for you will never again get Madhushaalaa.

(praN = soul, life, existence)
Day by day, the beloved wine of my existence is dropping down
Day by day, the pail of my body is disintegrating
Day by day, the beautiful wineserver of my youth is getting annoyed with me
And day by day, my lovely life's Madhushaalaa is drying up.

(Tulsi = Basil leaves; regarded holy and used in last-rites)
The last thing on my lips shouldn't be the basil but the "pail"
The last thing on my tongue shouldn't be the holy water from ganges but the wine
Those who join my last procession, must remember one thing
They shouldn't say "Ram is the truth", instead say the truth is Madhushaalaa.

(roae = cry, weep)
Only that must weep on my corpse, whose tears are full of wine
Only that must sigh, who is intoxicated after drinking
Only those must lay shoulder to me whose legs jerk and quaver
And I must be cremated on the site where once stood Madhushaalaa.